The Florida A&M Rattlers staged yet another “Escape From Baton Rouge” Saturday night as they eked out a 52-49 non-conference victory over Southern University in A.W. Mumford Stadium.
Florida A&M (5-2) won their second in a row and for the fourth time in five games, outslugging the Jaguars (4-3) on their home turf for the third straight time in the series.
In their last two meetings in Baton Rouge, the Rattlers escaped with narrow victories – 50-48 in 1998 and 50-49 in 2000 – both games being decided on last-minute field goals.
The game proved to be a showdown between quarterbacks – FAMU’s Curtis Pulley and Southern’s Bryant Lee.
Pulley, tabbed “Mr. Excitement” by FAMU soothsayers, accounted for 290 of the Rattlers’ 472 total yards. He led the Rattlers in rushing with 118 yards on 15 carries, then had a phenomenal passing night, completing 13 of 17 passes for 172 yards and 3 TDs, also catching a 41-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.
Southern’s Lee passed for 407 yards and 3 TDs, hitting 25 of 42 aerials, while rushing for a team-high 64 yards on 16 carries, scoring 3 TDs.
In the end, the deciding factor was FAMU kick returner Leroy Vann, who scored on a 66-yard punt return late in the third period to give FAMU the lead for good, 38-35.
Vann finished the night with 68 yards on two punt returns and 135 yards on six kickoff returns.
Saturday’s game started wild and ended that way as there were four blocked kicks in the first quarter – an extra point and three punts – that led to the Rattlers holding a 14-8 lead after 15 minutes.
FAMU outscored the Jaguars, 17-13 in the second period to hold a 31-21 lead at the half, but a 14-7 Southern surge pulled them closer after three periods, 38-35.
Pulley’s 41-yard pass reception off a reverse to receiver Kevin Elliott pushed FAMU farther in front, 45-35 with 11:00 left in the game, but Lee hit Tallahassee native Del Roberts for a 76-yard TD bomb to pull the Jags close again a 45-42 with 10:46 left.
Seconds later after a Vann kickoff return, Pulley hit Adrian Smith for a 39-yard scoring play to extend the Rattlers’ edge to 52-42, before Alvin Fosselman’s one-yard plunge on fourth down made the score 52-49 with 6:38 left.
FAMU got the ball back after Del Roberts made a spectacular catch but was stripped of the ball at the three-yard line going in for an apparent score. The Rattlers went for it on fourth and one at their own 12-yard line, getting the first down on Pulley’s one-yard sneak to ice the game, since Southern had no time outs with 1:38 left.
WHAT’S NEXT: The Rattlers take on Norfolk State next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Norfolk, Va., before returning home for a November 1 homecoming date against Morgan State.
